Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning of the End
by HungrySano
Summary: Promises of love. Promises of revenge. Promises of duty. A darkness falls upon the Kenshin-gumi that could lead to the end of the world. But who is the owner of the evil narrowing eyes that closely watch them from the darkness?
1. Prologue: From Fire and Brimstone

Prologue:

Blood covered the blade of a sword. Not just any sword, mind you. This sword had only been mastered by a madman. As the blade was pulled away from the flesh of its victim, a soft, feminine gasped was heard. The sword, now unsheathed from the victim, dripped with warm, crimson liquid from the tip of the sword all the way to the razor sharp ridges on the blade.

A grin appeared on the swordsman's face as the victim's dark eyes stared back at him in terror. Another gasp escaped the victim's lips as a weak mumble followed. Hot tears formed into these dark eyes and fell down the smooth, pale face of the victim. The sound of a wooden object hitting the floor was heard shortly after as fatigue plagued the unfortunate person's entire body.

Footsteps could be heard from afar, each step louder than the last. Within a few moments that seemed like hours, the footsteps paused nearby.

More crimson fluid flowed onto the floor as the mumbling of the prey became more coherent as her dark eyes strayed away from the predator. Those same eyes lit up with both relief and sorrow as her voice strained, calling out a single word.

"Kenshin."

After that moment, the world of Kaoru Kamiya faded into eternal darkness.

"You!" Shouted an enraged Kenshin.

The killer smiled through his bandaged face as he lit up a pipe, took a puff and blew a cloud of smoke. "Welcome home, Battousai. Did you miss me?"

The shade of blue in his eyes narrowed as an amber hue dominated his pupils and a glowing crimson light seemed to shine from his hair.

"Makoto Shishio…I will have your **_head!_**"


	2. Part I: Promises

Rurouni Kenshin – The Beginning of the End

Chapter 1: Promises

Kenshin's entire body trembled with rage. Despite what he saw, a part of his mind hoped that his now amber eyes were deceiving him. One hand was on his sword, the other held an indigo box with a red ribbon around it. Carelessly, he dropped it to the floor. A tag hung from the ribbon with "Happy Birthday, from Kenshin" scribbled on the front.

Shishio smirked cockily. "This is truly a treat. However, Battousai, this fight would be quite pointless. You're simply not strong enough yet to challenge me. I want a _real _battle. If you were to fight me with that reverse blade sword, even if you were to flip it to the sharp side, you would be powerless against me."

Kenshin wasn't listening. All he could hear was Kaoru's final call for him echoing in his mind. All he could see was her blood soaked body and the grin on Shishio's face. He didn't care how Shishio survived spontaneous combustion on Mount Hiei, or what his plans were. All he cared about was sending him to his grave, for good.

Without warning, Kenshin's body vanished into thin air, using god-like speed to close in on Shishio. It was noted by Shishio that he was much faster as the Battousai. However, in the eyes of Makoto Shishio, none of that really mattered.

Their swords clashed into a struggle, but Shishio's face was clam and relaxed. Kenshin's expression was the complete opposite as he pushed hard to press Shishio back. The ruthless flame swordsman parried with ease and landed a knee to Kenshin's stomach. The legendary manslayer coughed as he double over and dropped to the floor, on one knee.

Makoto chucked. "Battousai, you pacifistic ideals have made you much too weak for a death match! I'll give you some time, though. I will be waiting for you in Kyoto and I expect you to show up with a _real_ sword. Also, you should get your internal bleeding looked at before you come after me."

Kenshin blinked. "Wha-? Guh!" He suddenly coughed up blood onto the already blood stained floor. He then gasped for breath as he saw Shishio fade into a shadowy figure, then vanished into nothing, as if he was never there to begin with.

Kenshin slumped down, both knees on the floor as he crawled over to Kaoru's body, cradling her in his arms. He then squeezed his eyes closed and sobbed softly, muttering apologies to her lifeless form over and over.

Stress and sorrow filled his soul as he threw his head back in frustration, crying out her name in vain. His voice boomed and echoed throughout the empty dojo as his amber eyes settled, staring aimlessly at the ceiling as relentless tears continued to fall down. Covered in his love's blood, Kenshin curled up with her motionless body and continued to cry.

-----------------

**5 years later. Tokyo, Kamiya Dojo at sunset…..**

Now eighteen years old, it was obvious that Yahiko had done a lot of growing since the day Kaoru had died. He was much taller and he had developed a lean, slightly muscular figure. His clothing consisted of a black kimono, with yellow stripes, which was simply an inverted version of what he wore as a child. Underneath his kimono was a yellow shirt, and he also wore a grey hakama. Yahiko kept the dojo running in Kaoru's absence by teaching the younger generation around town the style of Kamiya Kashin. He had fifteen eager students, which wasn't as many as he had hoped, but he was grateful for that much. Not only did he preserve the style, he also added on to it by creating his own techniques and training methods. Yahiko also was well known throughout the town, not only as a kendo instructor, but as a hero of sorts. It seemed as if he took Kenshin's place, since every time the local police would have a hard time catching a manslayer, they would be pounding on the door of the Kamiya Dojo, begging for Yahiko's assistance. However, Yahiko found it irritating that they sometimes came to him in the middle of the night. There were times when Sanosuke would come and back him up for his fights, if multiple opponents were involved.

Outside the Kamiya Dojo, Yahiko stayed busy, sweeping up around the front. His expression was complete empty. Ever since the death of Kaoru and the disappearance of Kenshin, things were pretty dull and lonesome. Sanosuke would drop by from time to time to check up on him along with Megumi, Doctor Gensai, his granddaughters, and sometimes Tae and Tsubame. Everyone got together and tried cheering him up, but ever since that day, a smile seldom appeared on the face of Yahiko Myojin. Today was also, Kaoru's birthday, the day that marks both her life and death. That fact alone sent Yahiko into a deep, deep depression.

Just then, stalking in through the front gate was Sanosuke Sagara. He was Yahiko's most frequent visitor. Sano constantly blamed himself for not being there, which is why he spent most of his time trying to cheer up Yahiko, during his times of deep depression. It isn't easy when two of the people you consider family simply die or vanish one day. For the past five years, Sano and Yahiko grew even closer. If one were to describe their relationship, one would say they were like brothers. They would almost always been seen hanging out together at the Akebeko with Megumi, Tae, Tsubame, Doctor Gensai and his granddaughters. However, even though things were normal again, Yahiko had changed. He was still a fiery spirited samurai at heart, but his demeanor was calm, almost emotionless, which reminded Sanosuke of Aoshi.

"Hey, Yahiko! How ya doin'?" Sanosuke asked with a rather broad smile.

"Fine." Yahiko replied bluntly.

Sano sighed as he sat down on the front porch next to Yahiko, who continued to sweep. "Well, since you feel 'Fine', then you can come with me today."

Yahiko stopped for a second and looked at Yahiko skeptically. "Where?"

Sano sighed and shook his head. "Does it matter? What else do you have to do today?"

Yahiko looked back at his broom and began sweeping again. "Stuff."

"Look, Yahiko. I know that what happened is a terrible thing. I should've been there, but there's nothing we can do now. Kaoru wouldn't want you to sit here and mope around for the rest of your life!" Sanosuke shouted.

Yahiko paused and hung his head down. His hand gripped the broom tightly and trembled. Sanosuke looked thoughtfully at Yahiko and realized that he was crying.

"Why the hell did all this have to happen?!" Yahiko screamed out at no one in particular.

"She.." Yahiko sniffled, "….she was like a sister to me! Who would want to murder her like that? Why would they?! What did she do to deserve that?!"

Sanosuke was about to give words of comfort, but a voice called from the other side of the yard. "It was not what she did, that was important. It was about who she was that lead to the murder."

Both Yahiko and Sanosuke snapped their head around to see a young man, who looked about Sanosuke's age, leaning against the wall wearing a white hakama and kimono. He had a sword on his belt in a shining silver and golden sheath. His long, cyan colored hair extended down his back in a ponytail. He smiled at them with bright aqua eyes.

Sanosuke stood up and exclaimed, "Hey! Just who in the hell are you?!"

The newcomer put his hands up defensively. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Please do not be alarmed, I mean you no harm!" He pulled his sheathed sword from his belt and laid it on the ground. He smiled at Sano innocently. "See? I came here because I believe that we can help each other."

Yahiko then raised his eyebrow skeptically. "Help each other? What makes you think that we're gonna listen to you? How do we know _you're_ not behind her murder and back to get us, too?!"

The man pleaded, "Please, that's not what I mean, just hear me out!"

Sanosuke decided that he should be the one to do the talking and spoke up, "Look, you have to understand that it's really suspicious that you show up, claiming to have vital information about our friend's murder."

The man in white nodded. "Yes, I understand, Mr. Sagara. You never were a very trusting person."

Sanosuke then narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?"

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, it's difficult to explain. Perhaps I should show you." The man picked his sword from the ground and slowly unsheathed it.

Sano got into a fighting stance and said while cracking his knuckles, "So, you _did_ come here for a fight! Then, let's go, loser!"

The man grinned cheerfully. "No, no, silly! Just watch."

Yahiko's eyes went wide at what he saw next. The swordsman before them began surging with a visibly bright aura. Energy sparkled behind his back and slowly took the form of two wings. Once the wings completely formed, they spread out a good twelve feet.

Sano pointed and exclaimed. "He's a witch!" He then promptly stiffened and trembled. "This is it, Yahiko! We're gonna be CURSED!"

The man then sighed, dispersing his energy, casing his wings to fade out of existence. He glared at Sanosuke and said, "Witches don't have wings!"

Yahiko was still in awe of what he had just seen. Unlike Sanosuke, his intrigue overpowered his fear. Being completely unfamiliar with the supernatural, Yahiko knew that he might have been in over his head, but he would step forward. He couldn't do anything for Kaoru when he saw her lifeless body, except bury her and give her a decent funeral. Somehow, that didn't seem enough for him. Yahiko needed closure. This could be the chance he had been waiting for. Kenshin proved to be unreliable, so it was all up to him.

The young samurai stepped forward to the mysterious man. "I'm Yahiko Myojin. Come on in, you can tell me everything you know over dinner. We've got a lot to discuss." He then looked over to his older and spooked out companion. "You, too, Sanosuke."

Sanosuke replied, "Fine, I will as long as he promises not to put a curse on me!"

The man sighed. "Soldiers of Heaven don't put curses on people. You've got your facts mixed up, Mr. Sagara."

Sano scoffed. "Yeah, sure. That's what you _want _me to think!"

-------------------

**Later that evening…..**

The blue haired man smiled as the food was set out on the table. "Thank you for your hospitality. By the way, my name is Daisuke Kanzaki. It is very nice to finally meet you both."

Sanosuke, after finally being told about the difference of angels and witches, was much calmer. He asked, "Well, Daisuke, I don't mean to be rude, but about Kaoru.."

Daisuke nodded. "I understand. Let me start at the beginning. You see, the armies of hell recently acquired a new leader. He's a lone warrior who was sent there as a punishment ended up taking over completely. Some call him he master of hell fire; some even call him the ultimate demon. However, you know him by the name Makoto Shishio."

Yahiko and Sano simultaneously gasped at the name. Yahiko then asked, "You mean to say that Shishio was strong enough to overthrow hell itself?!"

Daisuke nodded. "Yes. As he rampaged, he recruited more and more underlings until he finally built an opposing army against the former ruler. Houji, his assistant, was also key in the plan to take over."

Sano gritted his teeth, "That little weasel!"

Daisuke continued, "Now, on the earth there is a sacred cave that contains the Eternal Crystal, a clear sphere that has the power to raise the dead. Items like that are created to maintain universal balance, but of course, can be very dangerous in the hands of humans. An eternal guardian was assigned to watch over this cave, but for some reason or another, turned to Shishio's side."

Yahiko's eyes went wide. "So that means he must've resurrected Shishio! I bet he killed Kaoru to get revenge on Kenshin for beating him at Mount Hiei!"

Daisuke replied, "Yes, but that wasn't the only reason, Yahiko. Kaoru fit into his plans nicely, as she had a major role to play. You see, every millennium, a human is chosen to defend against the dark, demonic forces. This duty runs in the Kamiya family, however, Kaoru was not the one to be chosen. It was to be her offspring. Shishio's interference sped up the schedule for the ultimate battle between good and evil and what's more, he's made the armies of hell even stronger than they would have been for said battle. In other words, he has altered the course of destiny."

Sano growled. "Then what the hell can we do about it? Kaoru's already gone!"

Daisuke replied, "That's why I'm here. I need your help to get the Eternal Crystal. The ritual requires the focus of both mortal and immortal energies. In order to stop Shishio, from opening hell's gate and releasing his full army into the world, we'll need Kaoru. Also, we will need the help of Kenshin Himura, as he is the one who gives her emotional strength."

Yahiko stood up abruptly and hung his head down, his spiked bangs covering his eyes. "Daisuke, please do not say that name in my presence. He can't be depended on."

Sanosuke got quiet as Daisuke did the same. Daisuke looked quite shocked to hear those words come from Yahiko, the one boy who was once Kenshin's number one fan. The boy learned much from him, looked up to him like a big brother, not to mention opened up to him a lot. It was almost inconceivable that he would hold such harsh feelings toward the wanderer.

Daisuke stood up and bowed. "I'm sorry, Yahiko. I will see to it that this error does not reoccur."

Yahiko sat back down silently. Every time he heard Kenshin's name, it made him want to scream. He knew Kenshin knew about Kaoru. Why else would he leave and never come back? He even had the nerve to skip her funeral! Kenshin kept telling Kaoru how he would always protect her and look what happened. A real man would keep his promises, no matter what, especially to his loved ones. His family. That's what Yahiko believe wholeheartedly in. Kenshin was a part of his family and he just walked out on them all. Kenshin wasn't a man. He was a coward.

Daisuke looked at Yahiko as if he could read his very thoughts, but said nothing. He knew that the boy needed time to see the truth for himself. Sanosuke, on the other hand was more than ready for action. If it were up to them, they would have left that very night. Then again there were still questions to be answered.

"So," said Sanosuke, "Where exactly is Shishio now?"

Daisuke sighed. "That's the tricky part. He could be anywhere by now. His demonic power allows him to vanish and appear as he pleases. I believe the only way we can track him down is to find his subordinates and get the info from them. That would required going to Kyoto, as I'm sure he's probably contacted his former Juppangatana members who are still among the living. There's one I'm thinking of in particular, though."

Sano grinned snapped his fingers in realization. "Broom head!"

Daisuke nodded. "Bingo!"

Sanosuke shouted, "All right! Then let's go to Kyoto!"

Daisuke sighed. "Can we wait until morning? I'm quite exhausted."

Sano grumbled. "Fine. Ya know, for an immortal, you're kinda wimpy."

Daisuke muttered, "Well, we all can't be freakishly strong and stubborn barbarians…"

Sano gritted his teeth, "Say something?"

Daisuke smiled innocently. "Not at all!"

--------------------

**In Tokyo, at sunrise….**

Yahiko kneeled down on both knees before a sword rack, within the Kamiya Dojo. On the rack say Yahiko's shinai and something that resembled Kaoru's wooden sword. The difference was that it was steel plated. It shone with the light from the rising sun as he reached for it, removing it from the rack. Engraved on the side of the hilt it read, "Kamiya Kashin's False Edge Sword, forged in memory of Kaoru Kamiya." A small smile appeared on his face as he laid his eyes on it.

He stood to his feet fiercely, holding the blunt edged weapon in a battle stance. He then swung it downward, unleashing a vapor like force from the weapon. Lifting the weapon slowly, he swung once more. He continued to repeat the swings, each strike more soulful and powerful than the last. As he swung, he recited aloud, the principle of Kamiya Kashin.

"Kamiya Kashin is a sword to protect others!" Yahiko shouted as he swung he sword down. He quickly lifted it back up and continued. "The first principle is to never attack simply to hurt another person!" Yahiko swung once more with a karate yell. "As long as I wield this tool of revitalization…" Yahiko swung even harder this time, causing his sword to make a noticeably loud sound. "…I will always protect those close to me!"

Yahiko swung with so much spirit that his ki and strength formed an invisible projectile attack that streamed along the floor, toward the doors of the dojo.

Unfortunately, a groggy, half sleep Sanosuke happened to open said door at that precise moment. "Hey Yahiko, what's with all the noi-? AHHHHHH…..!" Sanosuke was suddenly sent flying back, then tumbling halfway to the front gate.

Yahiko blinked. Amazed that he had grown that strong, he looked at the False Edge and said, "Wow. That was pretty cool. I should name that one."

Sanosuke stood to his feet with an enraged frown. "What's so cool about knocking me halfway way across the damn yard, huh?!" Sano stomped toward Yahiko angrily, looking as dangerous as a runaway locomotive.

Suddenly, Daisuke called from the other side of the yard, "Hey, guys! Are you ready yet, it's the big day! Kyoto time!"

Sano sighed as he stopped in his tracks, turning toward Daisuke, "This guy's starting to annoy me."

Yahiko ignored Sanosuke's commented and said, "Well, we should get, going I guess."

Sanosuke grabbed Yahiko's shoulders with a sly grin. "Wait a second, kid. What about your girlfriend, Tsubame? Aren't ya gonna tell her where you're going?"

Yahiko scoffed. "Sure, as soon as _you_ let your girlfriend, Megumi, know where we're going."

Sano growled. "That's it, brat! You're fish food!" Sano tackled the young samurai and soon they both were engulfed in a violent cloud of dust filled with bickering and flying fists.

Daisuke sighed. "Man, if they're fighting already, saving the world may be very hopeless." He stepped over to the noisy cloud of dust and pulled out a whistle. The moment he blew into it, the sound echoed through the entire neighborhood, which was more than enough to stop the duo from fighting. The two paused in placed in an awkward position. Sanosuke had Yahiko in a headlock as Yahiko bit down on his arm.

Daisuke asked, "Are you two quite done, yet?"

Sano sighed. "Well.." he then shook Yahiko off of his arm, causing the boy to land flat on his behind. "Yes, I'm done." Sanosuke flashed a toothy grin.

Daisuke blinked twice. "O….kay."

Yahiko spoke first. "Daisuke, we're still going with you to Kyoto, but we have to see our friends first."

"Yeah," added Sanosuke, "They can get pretty worked up if ya leave town without saying anything."

Daisuke smiled. "I understand. Well, I'll wait for you at the train station. Take all the time you need, but keep in mind we have to leave before sunset."

Yahiko nodded. "Right. Well, we'll see you later, Daisuke."

Sano added, "And try to stay out of trouble."

Yahiko whispered to Sano, "Shouldn't you be telling _yourself_ that?"

"Aw, shut up." Sano frowned.

Daisuke waved as the two departed for the Akebeko.

---------------------

**Later that afternoon, at the Akebeko….**

"You're going to Kyoto _today?_ Why?!" Megumi narrowed her eyes at Sanosuke.

Sano smiled nervously as the fox lady burned holes into his eyes with her menacing glare. Indeed, the rooster head was in for deep trouble if he said the wrong thing. Yahiko watched with some interest, despite him not smiling, he found the scene quite humorous. They were all seated at their favorite booth, next the window, 3 booths down from the main entrance. They had all ordered a large beef pot and were served by one of the new waitresses. Tae was currently helping other customers, but she would eventually come to their booth to greet them, as they always did.

"Well," Sanosuke cautiously took a step back while twiddling his thumbs, "You see there's this angel guy-"

"Angel guy?" Megumi raised an eyebrow and scowled. She wasn't buying it and it showed.

Sano hesitantly continued, "Yeah…and he said that, um, Shishio had risen from the dead to take over the world and he needs our help….and we need to go to Kyoto to find out where he's hiding…."

Megumi's scowled deepened. "Let me get this straight, rooster head. An angel came to you and said that Makoto Shishio had risen from the dead to take over the world and wants you and Yahiko to stop him, is that correct?"

Sano nodded. "Yeah! I knew you'd understand."

Megumi reached out and grabbed Sanosuke's ear with a tight grip. "Sagara, just because I don't get out a lot, doesn't mean I'm a fool! Now tell me why you're leaving so suddenly, or so help me, I will snatch off your ear! I'll sew it back on, as it is my job, mind you, but you'll be in for some severe punishment, you hear me?!"

"Ow!" Sanosuke cried as Megumi mercilessly tugged on his left ear. "Cut it out, Megumi, it hurts!"

Yahiko spoke up, feeling sorry for poor Sano, "I'm sorry, Megumi. We wanted to keep you from worrying, but we do have some dangerous business in Kyoto. We'll return shortly and we will be sure to write to you as soon as we get there."

She then looked at Yahiko thoughtfully and nodded. "All right, then." She turned her attention to Sanosuke, who was currently at her mercy. "I'll let you off the hook this time. You'd better come back to me, Sano. If you don't, I won't _ever _forgive you. You remember what happened the last time you went to Kyoto, don't you? You're just as reckless as Kenshin was then."

Just then, Yahiko stood up. "I'm going to see if I can spot Tsubame." Without another word, he left the booth.

Megumi gasped and covered her moth with the tips of her fingers. "Oh, my. I completely forgot about Yahiko's feelings against Kenshin."

Sano sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. "Well, it doesn't matter. It's about time the kid finally got over what happened once and for all. He's been dwelling on it for way to long. Kaoru's been dead for five years and Kenshin is off doing who knows what right now. I can understand why Yahiko's mad at him, but I personally think it would be less troublesome to just forget all about him, just like he seemed to forget about us."

Megumi turned away from Sanosuke and asked, "Why would you think something like that? Kenshin is still our friend, Sano. Did you ever consider that he didn't come back because something happened to him? Maybe he went to fight Kaoru's killer and lost. You know Kenshin isn't the type of person to up and leave like that."

Sanosuke scoffed. "Then explain what happened when he went to Kyoto. Tell me exactly when he told you goodbye before he left to fight Shishio. Hell, the only one he told was Kaoru."

Megumi replied sadly, "But you know Kenshin had a reason. He didn't want us to worry about him. Kenshin just-"

"Kenshin was an idiot!" Sano snapped. "After the battle in Kyoto, Kenshin should have known better! He acted as if he could take down an entire syndicate by himself and nearly got himself killed! We believed in Kenshin, but what he did five years ago, on this day, proves that he didn't have the same faith in us! Kenshin didn't believe in us, Megumi! Sometimes, I wonder if he _ever_ did!"

Megumi's head snapped back, glaring at Sanosuke with tears in her eyes. Sanosuke suddenly felt her soft, silky hand whip across his face, stinging him and making his head snap to the side, leaving a red bruise on his cheek. The woman doctor stood up and shouted, "How can you say such things about him?! Kenshin was your best friend, wasn't he?! Judging by your words, it seems like _you_ betrayed _him_, not the other way around!" She then left the booth, but not before adding, "I never would have thought that you could be so cold, Sano. Maybe you should leave for Kyoto now. Goodbye, Sanosuke." Megumi then walked away from Sanosuke and out of the Akebeko.

Sanosuke simply hung his head down, hating himself for what he had just done. He looked at his reflection within his cup of green tea.

"You are such a moron." Sanosuke said, scowling at his reflected image.

----------------------

**Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Akebeko…..**

As Yahiko walked around the Akebeko, he noticed that there were many new faces working there. It was a good thing, however. It meant that Tae was getting all the help she needed and also that Tsubame didn't have to work so much. Yahiko liked to spend time with her every chance he could. Despite them being around each other so much, they weren't in a serious relationship. They were still friends. The best of friends, mind you, but still only friends. This fact chewed at Yahiko's mind because he became so strong mentally and physically over the past few years, yet he still couldn't get the nerve to tell Tsubame his true feelings. It was a very frustrating feeling. He would doubt himself and mentally make excuses the last minute if he did plan to tell her. He would always think, 'She only likes me out of pity' or 'She probably already as a boyfriend, as pretty as she is' or the most frequent one, 'I don't deserve someone like her'. Yahiko cursed himself for being so timid about Tsubame, but he figured there was nothing he could do about it.

Just as he was about to return to his seat, he heard a familiar cry from behind. "Yahiko, there you are!"

Yahiko spun around to see the face of Tae. She didn't change much over the years. A small wrinkle around her mouth was about the only proof of her aging at all. She was always a sweet, kind person. Not to mention a hard worker, as she managed such a popular and busy establishment. Yahiko couldn't count how many times he and Tae helped each other out. It was almost like a mother-son relationship between them. Some people would even mistake them for just that. Also, Tae noticed that Yahiko would smile more every time Tsubame came around. Also, he smiled more in general, which was also a very good sign of him getting over the past.

Yahiko smiled. "Hi, Miss Tae! How are you today?"

Tae shrugged with a small grin. "The same as always. Busy, busy, busy! So, what brings you here, aside from you stomach? You look like you have something you need to say." She then smiled slyly, in the same manner Sanosuke would and asked, "Or is it something you want to say to Tsubame?"

Yahiko shifted his feet as he began to feel every uncomfortable. He knew what she was hinting at, since it was almost impossible to hide things from Tae, particularly, things that had to do with love and relationships. She would practically tackle the opportunity of play matchmaker if someone were to ask her for love advice. Even if she had a hunch about someone's feeling toward another, Tae would put on her game face and prepare for her role as cupid. This fact alone shook Yahiko's very soul because he often wondered if Tae ever told Tsubame about her suspicions of Yahiko's true feelings. The fact that she smiled at him like a fox getting away with the hen wasn't helping his comfort level much.

"Well," Yahiko began, "It's something you both need to hear. You see, Sanosuke and I have to go to Kyoto. It's pretty urgent, so we have to leave today. That's all I can really tell you about it."

Tae's expression instantly became on of concern. "Oh. I see. In that case, you should hurry. I gave Tsubame the rest of the day off an hour ago so she could work in her garden. She should be there by now, if you want to talk to her."

Yahiko nodded. "Thanks, Miss Tae. Oh, and could you tell Sanosuke to meet me at the train station in about an hour?"

She smiled again and replied, "Sure, dear. Mr. Sanosuke and I have to discuss his tab anyway." She smirked evilly, "One way or another, he _will_ pay!"

Yahiko could see the fire in her eyes and knew that today was the worst day to be in Sano's shoes. And for that, Yahiko was truly grateful. He quickly left with a quick goodbye and exited through the back entrance, then dashed down the street, hoping that Tsubame would be home when he got there.

Meanwhile, back at the Akebeko, Sanosuke sighed with his head on the table, thinking about what Megumi said. Kenshin _was_ his best friend, wasn't he? Deep down, Sanosuke knew that Kenshin always meant well. He dreaded having his friends dragged into dangerous situations, which was why he always insisted on fighting alone. So, why was Sano so angry with him? Why did he get irritated every time Kenshin's disappearance would come up in a conversation? Why did the thought of Kenshin leaving without a word piss him off so much? Then, it finally hit him. He wasn't angry with Kenshin. He just missed his best friend.

"Oh, Mr. Sanosuke…" A sweet, sing song voice called to him.

Sanosuke slowly raised his head from the table to see Tae smiling evilly at him with her arms folded. He also noticed that she had a rather large, wooden paddle in her hand. With a devious grin she raised it and pounded it against her palm. "Mr. Sanosuke, I believe the time has come for us to discuss the payment of your tab."

Sanosuke cringed. "Oh, crap."

Outside of the Akebeko, a loud smack of a paddle could be heard, followed by the pathetic screams of a grown man, begging for mercy. Many people outside wondered what all the fuss was about. They also wondered why the woman who fussed madly along with the noise insisted on being called 'Queen'.

**Later, at the train station….**

At the train station Daisuke stood against the wall with a bored look on his face, while singing 'Heart of Sword' very, very badly. So badly that several people shot him dirty looks, but the soldier of heaven seemed to be oblivious. Suddenly he heard Sanosuke voice from behind, "For a guy from heaven, you sure have a hellish singing voice…"

Daisuke turned around and stuck out his tongue at the brawler. "I'll bet you're no great singer either."

Sanosuke replied, "Damn right. That's why I don't try to in public."

Daisuke shrugged. "Well, on another subject, where is Yahiko?"

Sano looked around a bit before saying, "He should be here any minute."

Then, as if on cue, Yahiko came running into the station, False Edge in his belt and all. He also seemed to have something around his neck, which Sanosuke noticed and smirked at. There was no doubt that it was a parting gift for Tsubame. He was going to have a ball teasing Yahiko about it. Of course, it probably wouldn't last long since his fear of trains would probably petrify him for the majority of the ride. As Yahiko stopped before Sano and Daisuke, Sano grinned slyly while asking, "Hey, what's with the necklace, Yahiko?"

Yahiko turned away with a slight smile and red cheeks. He cleared his throat before saying, "It's nothing, really. Just-"

"A gift from Tsubame?" Sano asked grinning ever wider.

Yahiko frowned at his bothersome friend. He then got an idea to shut him up. Yahiko grinned as he pointed behind Sano. "Hey, check it out! That guy's taking our picture!"

Sanosuke frantically screamed, "Ahh! I wanna keep my soul!" He began to sprint around in circles, scanning the station for cover until he finally ducked and hid behind Daisuke. "Hey, you're an angel, right? Make the evil go away! Don't let the camera take my soul!"

That was when the train pulled into the station. Sanosuke went into a frenzy while clutching on to Daisuke's leg, begging him to banish the 'tools of the devil' and to keep his soul safe. Yahiko had a good laugh at his misguided friend as they boarded the train, dragging a reluctant Sano with them. Once they boarded, it took a while, but they got Sano to calm down, eventually. The sun had already set and the sky was just beginning to turn dark. Yahiko looked down at the necklace Tsubame had given him. It was silver with a square shaped pendant. Within it was a small photo of him and Tsubame. He then leaned his head back in the chair, reminiscing about his meeting with her earlier that day….

**Flashback….**

Tsubame had jus finished changing out of her work uniform and into her gardening clothes. She wrapped a white scarf around her head as she came out into her garden to see Yahiko standing there in front of it. Upon seeing him she beamed, overjoyed to see the young samurai.

"Hi." Yahiko said with the warmest of smiles.

"Hi, Yahiko!" Tsubame chirped as she ran out to embrace him. She practically jumped into his arms, which nearly knocked them both over, but it wasn't like either one of them would have cared. They were just happy to be in each other's company. Tsubame sighed contently in Yahiko's arms. She didn't even want to leave that position her cheek flashed a bright red and she closed her eyes, wondering if they could be more than just good friends. The same thoughts clouded Yahiko's mind as he held her. His cheeks were just as red as Tsubame's but he was better at hiding his feelings than she was.

Breaking gently from the embrace, Yahiko looked down at his feet and said softly, "Tsubame, there's something I have to tell you."

Tsubame's entire face became red as her eye nearly popped out of her head. Was this it? Did Yahiko feel that same way she felt? Did he want to start a romantic relationship with her? These questions made her blush even more. The thought of finally being with Yahiko would overflow her heart with joy. Today just might be the most unforgettable day for her life. The day Yahiko would say…

"Tsubame, I," said Yahiko, "Have to leave for Kyoto today."

Tsubame emotionally deflated. She tried not to show any disappointment by smiling. "I see. Is there a special reason that you're going there on such short notice?"

Yahiko nodded. "Yeah, but I can't say why. All I can tell you is that there's an urgent situation that Sano and I have to take care of. I'll be sure to send you a letter when I get there."

Tsubame turned her back to him and went silent. This worried Yahiko. Did he say something wrong? He suddenly noticed that her shoulders were trembling as she placed her hands over her face. She was crying. Before her could ask her what was wrong, he heard her blurt out something unexpected.

"Oh, no," Tsubame sobbed, "It's really happening."

Yahiko stepped behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her. "What? What's really happening?"

Tsubame sniffled before speaking again. "I had a dream, Yahiko, that you left and never came back, like Kenshin did. The worst part was when I went out to look for you; I couldn't find any trace of you. Then, when I was just about to give up, I finally found you. It was your grave, Yahiko!" She then broke down, sobbing in his embrace. Yahiko couldn't say anything. He had no clue what he could say to make her feel better.

That was when she turned around to face Yahiko and said with tears falling from her eyes. "Promise me, Yahiko. Promise you'll come back alive, okay?"

Yahiko took her hands into his own with a smile. "Tsubame, I promise you that I won't die. Believe in me."

Tsubame reached into her pocket with her left hand and said, "Take this with you, to help you remember your promise. There's something important that I have to tell you, but it can wait until you come back. Don't forget, okay?"

Yahiko nodded solemnly. He had a feeling that he knew what Tsubame wanted to tell him, but in order to be sure, he had to keep his promises, unlike a certain wanderer who befriended him and then walked out of his life when he was needed the most. Reminded of the incident five years ago, Yahiko was determined to come back to his friends, who depended on him. They believed in him wholeheartedly and he refused to let them down, no matter what price he would have to pay.

Yahiko turned around and said, "I'm off now."

Tsubame smiled again. "Then I'll see you when you get back, right?"

Yahiko beamed. "Yup! Don't worry, Tsubame, I'll be back before you know it. Then you can tell me that important thing of yours. Yahiko Myojin keeps his promises!"

Tsubame nodded. "I know. I'll always believe in you, Yahiko. No matter what."

Yahiko grinned. "Thanks." With that said, Yahiko dashed of toward the train station as Tsubame waved, watching the boy she had grown to love depart. She had no clue how dangerous his journey would be, but she was positive that he would return safely. He had given his word, after all.

**End Flashback**

Back on the train, Daisuke was fast asleep as Sanosuke was well on his way. Yahiko felt a bit tired, but not enough to fall asleep just yet. There was also the fear of missing their stop. Yahiko poked Sanosuke a couple time to get his attention. "Hey, Sano."

Sanosuke snapped, irritated that Yahiko refused him any sleep. "What?"

Yahiko asked curiously, "Do you really think we can bring Kaoru back to life?"

Sano huffed. "I dunno. It seems pretty farfetched to me, but I suppose anything's possible, especially if Shishio's back causing trouble."

Yahiko mused. "You know, I never got that chance to apologize to her. So many times, I acted like a pain in the ass to her when all she wanted to do was help me. I should've been more grateful." Yahiko sighed again. He felt that he had many loose ends that needed to be tied with both Kaoru and Kenshin. It seemed, strangely enough that he would get that chance. However, at the same time, his and Sanosuke's lives were going to be in more danger than they ever were before. Then again, a major catch should be expected when an impossibly positive opportunity comes along. Yahiko knew that the fight of his life was at hand, but was he ready? Was anyone ready? Yahiko slumped back into his chair and looked out the window, into the night. For Yahiko, he was just as ready as grass was white.


	3. Part II: A Reunion in Kyoto

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 2: A Reunion in Kyoto**

The trip to Kyoto seemed like an eternity for Yahiko, as he stared out the window of the train car, pondering about the current situation. Everything just seemed so unreal; the dead coming back to life, Shishio, taking over hell and attempting to destroy all life, and Kaoru being the 'chosen one'. It was all too much to take in at a time, but there they were, on a train to Kyoto. Everything had happened so fast for Yahiko.

He looked over at Daisuke and Sano to see that the both of them were sleeping peacefully. Yahiko couldn't help but think that they weren't worried like he was. Daisuke was a supernatural being, so that was understandable. Sano, on the other hand, wasn't. However, he was never the type to back down from any fight, no matter how high the possibility of dying was. The man was just plain reckless, but he could back it up. Of course, against a revived Shishio, who happens to be infused with demonic powers, Sano really didn't stand a chance and neither did he. The young samurai sighed as he went back to staring out the window once more.

"I suppose the first place we should go is the Aoiya," he mused. "Hopefully, they won't mind us barging in like this." That was when Yahiko heard on of the train officers announce that they were about to pull into the Kyoto train station.

Daisuke's eye slowly opened halfway. "Are we they yet?" Daisuke moaned with a yawn following after.

Yahiko nodded. "Yeah." He then turned to Sanosuke and flicked his ear with his middle finger, giving the rooster head a start. Before long, Yahiko felt a rough hand grab his kimono.

"I told you never to do that!" Sanosuke screamed in rage, born from irritation.

Yahiko smirked. "That's payback for the times you tried to embarrass me in front of Tsubame. Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Sano?"

Sanosuke released his grip and growled. "Yeah, whatever. Let's get going. I remember Kyoto pretty well, so I'll lead the way."

Yahiko's head snapped into Sano's direction. "Sano, for the love of Buddah, no! _I'll_ lead the way, okay?"

Daisuke nodded in agreement with Yahiko, "Yes, please allow Yahiko to lead us. Besides, it's as I said before, we don't have much time. It would put us in bad shape to get lost."

Sano glared at the pretty boy before him. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?! You tryin' to say that I'll get us lost?!"

Daisuke nodded. "Yes. I happen to know about the last time you took the leadership role and dragged poor Yahiko around Kyoto for half a day."

Yahiko added, "Not to mention blaming _me _for it."

Sano sighed with defeat, seeing no way to win this argument. "Fine, I don't care."

As the trio left the train, Yahiko began to worry. Not about the task at hand, but what the Oniwaban would think of him just coming by so abruptly with a request to stay overnight. Especially since they haven't been in contact for the past five years. Misao used to write letters to them once a month, but after the fourth month, the letters had stopped coming. Yahiko wrote back many times, but he never got any reply. He assumed that maybe he upset her somehow, which is why he never tried looking into it. However, now, he had to. They had no other place to stay, unless they were to impose on Hiko, but he would most likely not want to be bothered and he only had a small, humble shack of a home. They would need a lot more space.

On their way to the Aoiya, Yahiko was quite surprised that he still remembered his way around Kyoto, even after a couple of years. The place was just as busy and crowded as it was when he visited last. Everyone seemed to be busy with their daily tasks and activities, but didn't seem troubled at all. The trio was surrounded by smiling, happy citizens as they made their way to the Aoiya.

Just then, a small girl with green eyes, long, black hair; wearing a purple kimono bumped into Daisuke from the side and feel backward, to the ground. No even two seconds after the rough landing, her eyes swelled with tears and she began bawling. Yahiko raised an eyebrow and turned to the girl, wondering what happened as Sanosuke muttered something about noisy kids should be kept indoors. Her hands had been badly scraped from the fall.

Daisuke kneeled down to the little girl and smiled while helping her onto her feet. "Please don cry, little one. Here, take my hand."

She looked hesitant at first, but she complied. The burning pain in her hands seemed to vanish as the stranger held her hands. Daisuke released his gentle hold and said, "Please be careful in the future and remember that you'll get nowhere in life by constantly rushing ahead."

The little girl nodded, while staring at her hands in amazement. The scrap marks were gone. It was as if she didn't fall to begin with, as if her pain was nothing more than an illusion. She smiled up at Daisuke who smiled back and nodded to her before walking off into the crowd with Sanosuke and Yahiko. For one split second, she could have sworn she saw a pair of pearl white, feathery wings on his back.

It took them a little less than an hour, but they finally made it. Daisuke, Sano, and Yahiko stood before the front entrance of the Aoiya. Yahiko paused completely. He looked hesitant to go inside. What if they were angry with him? What if they ask about Kenshin or Kaoru? Or do they already know? The last letter he sent, he finally mentioned Kaoru and what happened, but that was the one that he didn't get a reply to.

"Yahiko!" Sano shouted sharply, giving the younger warrior a start.

Yahiko looked up at his buddy, still slowly coming out of his daze. "Huh?"

Sanosuke sighed. "I've been trying to get your attention for the last two minutes. Look, are we going in there or what? We didn't exactly come here to stand around all day, ya know?"

Yahiko nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We should go inside and see who's there."

Suddenly, a feminine voice said from the doorway with a gasp, "Rooster head!"

Sanosuke turned around with a growl, but it faded away upon seeing a beautiful young woman in a dark blue kimono with long, black hair that extended to her lower back and bright, blue eyes. She smiled brightly as she waved to Sanosuke, "Hi, rooster head, long time, no see!"

Sanosuke's eyes went wide with shock, "W-weasel girl?! Is that you?!"

Misao, despite the name calling grinned. "Yup, it's me! Hey, who are those other two guys with you?"

Sano pointed to Daisuke, "This is Daisuke Kanzaki. He's an ang- uh, acquaintance that we met earlier." He then pointed his thumb toward Yahiko, "And I'm sure you remember little Yahiko."

Yahiko glared at Sanosuke, as he still couldn't stand being called little, even if his looks said otherwise.

Misao gasped, "Y-you're Yahiko?! _Little_ Yahiko?! You sure have gotten much bigger. And cuter, too!" She added with a wink.

Yahiko looked to the ground and blush a little as Sanosuke chuckled while nudging Yahiko's arm, "Yeah, he looks like a real ladies' man! Hey, tell her about your girlfriend back in Tokyo!"

Misao giggled. "Wow! A girlfriend, too? You must be a real heartbreaker now, huh, Yahiko?"

Sano answered for him. "You have no idea! This guy's a chick magnet. You should see him in action!"

This earned Sano a whack upside the head by the False Edge which sent him to the ground with a puff of dust. Yahiko placed his weapon back on his belt and walked over to Misao, stepping on Sano's head on the way.

Daisuke kneeled down by Sano and asked, "Sanosuke, you're a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

Sanosuke sat up and narrowed his eyes at Dai. "Shut up, you."

Daisuke's reply was a big, wide grin.

**Later, inside the Aoiya….**

Okina, Misao, Aoshi, Omasu, Okon, Shirojo and Kurojo all sat around at table with Yahiko, Sanosuke and Daisuke. After everyone finished exchanging greeting, Daisuke asked, "Five years ago, did Kenshin ever come by here for any reason?"

Aoshi nodded. "As A Matter of fact, Himura did reappear five years ago. However during his stay, he refused to tell us where he was going or his reason."

Yahiko asked, "Would you mind telling us everything that happened then?"

Aoshi nodded. "Sure. I first saw Himura outside of the Aoiya on a rainy night…."

**Flashback**

"I must find him!" Kenshin dashed madly through the soaked streets of Kyoto, in the rain, searching for his foe. Caring of no consequence, he held an unsheathed sword in his hand. He screamed out, "Show yourself, Shishio!"

A tall, dark figure appeared before Kenshin as a bolt of lightning flashed in the sky. Not able to see the face of his opponent and being driven mad by his anger and hatred, he made a ridiculous accusation. He pointed his sharpened sword, the very same blade he wielded as a ruthless assassin, at the figure. "You die, Shishio."

A soft, "Hmm?" was heard from the figure as Kenshin charged in aiming to slash the throat of his opponent in hopes of taking off his head.

Fortunately, for Kenshin's opponent, he was just as experienced as his attacker. Two blades quickly unsheathed, blocking Kenshin's attack. The half mad Kenshin jumped back with a rapid back flip and charged again. This time he leapt above his opponent's head. His amber eyes narrowed as he came down, voice booming through the night.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style: Ryu Tsui Sen!"

As Kenshin came down upon his opponent, the figure seemed to vanish out of sight as the lightning flashed in the sky once more. Kenshin landed, unsuccessful in landing his special attack. What's more, he couldn't see his opponent. He was off guard, but was too berserk to even care. That's when it happened.

"Double Kodachi: Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren!"

Kenshin was struck down to the ground by the attack. He no longer had the strength to stand, due to him not eating and barely sleeping for the past month. Kenshin's health was below its normal stability. He blacked out slowly as his eyes returned to two seas of blue. He didn't notice, but another pair of sea blue eyes looked down upon his unconscious form.

"Forgive me, Himura" said Aoshi. "But you left me no other alternative."

**End Flashback**

Yahiko scoffed. "Hmph."

Sano then asked, "So, what happened after that, Aoshi?"

The ninja replied, "Afterward, I brought him to the Aoiya and the others began treating him right away. I lent Himura my room for the night, but he didn't come to until the morning…"

**Flashback**

Kenshin's eyes slowly opened as he could feel sharp stinging all over his upper body. His eyes quickly gained focus as he looked at his surroundings. He was in a bedroom with the shining sun coming through the window. A sunflower in a vase sat next to his futon as he slowly sat up. Looking down at his pained upper body, he saw bandages wrapped around his wounds. He sighed with slight relief. Taking a second thought of his surroundings, Kenshin found that this place was very familiar.

That was when the door quietly slid open, revealing Aoshi with a rather sympathetic look on his face. "So, we meet again, Himura."

Kenshin lowered his head, not able to look Aoshi in the eye. "Yes. So, we do."

Aoshi walked into the room and sat down by the futon, crossing his legs. He looked toward the window and said, "I would have never imagined meeting you again like this, Himura. Would you mind explaining yourself?"

Kenshin shook his head. "I apologize, Aoshi. I am not ready to speak on this matter, that I'm not. I would like some time before I go into it, if you please."

Aoshi nodded, understanding Kenshin's request. Aoshi had gone through something similar, after he betrayed Okina and nearly killed him. "Very well, Himura. I will leave you be for now. Misao shall be up a momentarily with breakfast for you."

With that, Aoshi stood up and headed to the door.

"Aoshi." Kenshin called out.

The taller warrior stopped and turned back to the redhead.

"Thank you." Kenshin said.

Aoshi nodded slightly and then continued out the door, sliding it closed behind him.

Alone again, Kenshin looked up toward the ceiling as tears slowly leaked from his eyes. He felt like he was dead and began to think he would be better off that way. However, Shishio would die first. Definitely. Makoto Shishio would pay with his second life. Kenshin's fist balled up and tightened until his knuckles turned white. He was angry, no, livid beyond his own comprehension. Not even the death of Tomoe caused such rage. His heart had the burden of loosing two true loves in a single lifetime. Each to a sword wielding beast, himself included.

Of course, Kenshin was never the type to kill for revenge, not even once. He did it to protect others. He killed in the Revolution to protect the innocent, not knowing that the side he chose to fight for was simply the lesser of two evils. His master warned him about the path he chose. He explained that Hiten Mitsurugi was created to protect others as a free sword, not as a simple tool in someone else's war. Kenshin didn't listen. It took him ten years after the revolution to see that mistake he made.

Then, he met Kaoru in Tokyo. The spirited young kendo instructor who didn't care who he used to be or what he had done in the past. She simply welcomed him with open arms.

He came to love her without even noticing. He just woke up one morning and realized that he loved Kaoru. Promising to protect her no matter what and always going out of his way to make her happy were always assumed to be acts of kindness and appreciation of her own. It was the morning before he left Kyoto that he realized he was in love. He wanted to leave without seeing the sad faces of the people he cared about. He didn't think he could take it without deciding to stay. If he did stay, Shishio would have eventually begun another revolution, another hell for Kenshin to live through. What scared him more was that his friends, no, his family would have to live through it. Most of all, Kaoru would have to live through it. He knew that she couldn't survive in a world where she would have to kill or be killed. It wouldn't be fair for her to be forced into making such a choice. So, he left, unsure of the results that would follow. However, in the end, his friends showed up at his side and they won together. They had stopped the Juppangatana. It was over. Shishio had died, due to his own obsession with carnage.

But, who could predict something like this happening? Who would have thought, Shishio would cheat death simply to fight Kenshin once more? It was so unreal that Kenshin expected to wake up anytime. He was more than ready to wake up now. He wanted to get out of his futon in Tokyo and cook Kaoru the best breakfast of her life and confess his feelings. He couldn't wait to wake up. He would even kiss her for good measure. Right after he woke up from this nightmare.

He never did.

He waited and waited, but the nightmare continued on. Then, he finally accepted it. Kaoru Kamiya was really gone and she wasn't coming back. He really did become the Battousai again last night, and Shishio was, in fact, back from the dead. He remembered casting away the reverse blade sword and unsealing his katana and wakasashi, the very same used by him as the Battousai. Part of him couldn't believe that he broke his vow never to kill again and was already regretful and ashamed. Another part of him didn't care as long as he tore Shishio asunder. The remaining part of him wished that Shishio had finished him off. Death was favorable over this feeling. Living was nothing more than just a burden on Kenshin, at this point. However, he could not die and leave this world to Shishio. That was the plan. Kill Shishio, kill the Battousai. No more Battousai, no more Kenshin, and no more Shinta.

He felt guilt from all three segments of his life. Each segment, he let someone close to him die. As Shinta, his surrogate sisters were slain for his sake. He tried to fight off their attacker with a discarded sword that belonged to a warrior that had previously been slain, but instead they shielded him with their own bodies.

_If only I were stronger…_

As the Battousai, there was his 'wife', Tomoe, who also tried to save him at the last moment. With the power of Hiten Mitsurugi, he brought down the blade, slicing both his enemy and his love, killing the both of them at once.

_If only I were smarter…_

And finally, as Kenshin Himura, the wandering samurai with a vow never to take away life, he let Kaoru Kamiya, the girl who saw through his mask of cheerful friendliness and into the depths of his loneliness, die. She had believed in him. He had promised to always protect her. He let her down. He could picture only vague images at that moment. He could see warm, crimson blood flowing onto the wooden floor. A thin, yet muscular form covered in burned bandages, wearing a smirk. Then, streams of tears running down soft, pale cheeks as those light pink lips he only dreamed of kissing someday uttered at a barely audible tone.

"Kenshin."

_If I were only faster…_

Kenshin slowly fell into deep sleep with his regretful thoughts haunting him through his dreams. He dreamt of the past all over. All his life, he had been fighting and losing people close to him. It hurt. It hurt so bad that he wanted to scream and let all of his tears fall freely. He couldn't. He had to pretend everything was okay so that people wouldn't worry. He wanted to make sure that people didn't have to worry. He wanted everyone to be happy no matter what, but it was always at his own expense. Was it worth it? Worth loosing his sisters, Tomoe, and Kaoru?

He questioned himself as he sat in a dark void, on an invisible surface. A cold wind blew by him, send chills all over his body. Alone in the darkness, with no one around to worry, Kenshin, no, Shinta cried. His days as Kenshin Himura were coming to a close. Being a swordsman was simply too painful to bear anymore. Shinta's cries echoed through the darkness for only Shinta, himself, to hear.

"_Live for me, Shinta."_

"_Please forgive me sister. I just can't do it anymore."_

------------------

Awake again. His left eye held a single tear, which he wiped away quickly before turning over to see Misao staring down at him with those bright and youthful eyes of hers.

"So, Himura, what happened to you?" A curious Misao asked as she poured steaming tea into Kenshin's cup.

He couldn't tell Misao the truth. The last thing Kenshin wanted was to make her sad, especially since this was his first visit after a while. Aoshi even went through the trouble of lying about how they met the night before. He, too, didn't want to cause Misao any discomfort. Her eyes shone with happiness as she gazed at him, eager to hear his story. How could he tell the truth about Kaoru's death, the return of the manslayer within him, or even about the return of Makoto Shishio? No. He couldn't.

He smiled, masking his depression, "I just came for a visit, that I did."

Misao nodded slowly. "Oh, I see. How did you get those cuts, though? Not many people could do that...except for my Great Lord Aoshi, of course!"

Kenshin became a bit nervous as he scanned his thoughts for another lie. "I was sparring with my master, that I was. I didn't think the cuts would take toll in such a way. Fortunately, I found Aoshi while wandering last night, that I did!" Kenshin chuckled halfheartedly.

Misao smiled. "Oh, okay, then! Well, Himura, make sure you eat up and get your strength back." She then looked down at the food to see it was already eaten. She looked back to Kenshin in surprise and thought to herself, "Himura eats like a pig!"

She smiled nervously and exited the room quickly, "Um, I'll see you later! Bye, Himura!" She slid the door shut behind her. From the other side of the door a loud burp echoed. Misao frowned. "That was the second grossest thing I've ever heard!"

Aoshi, who leaned against the wall beside her asked, "What was the first?"

"Gramps in his room at night." Misao said bitterly.

"Ah." Aoshi shuddered at the thought.

A muffled sneeze sounded from Okina's room.

**End Flashback**

Sano sighed. "Yup, that sounds like typical Kenshin. Always tryin' to take on the eight of the world all by himself."

Okina looked thoughtful as he stroked his beard. "Himura was also in a hurry to get where he was going. He seemed determined to do something, but not in a positive way. There was something dark about it a dangerous look in his eyes told me that he wasn't out to save a life. I tried to stop him and as he left, but he handed me a letter."

**Flashback**

As Okina excepted the letter into his hand, Kenshin said blankly, "I want you to keep this. If I do not return and Sanosuke or Yahiko come by looking for me, give them this letter. Please do not open it until one of them arrives."

Okina nodded. "I will honor you request, but please, Himura. Tell me what is happening. I know that something is wrong and I would want nothing more than to help you. You've helped us in the past and I wish to do the same for you."

Kenshin smiled slightly. "By honoring my request, you are doing just that. There is no need to worry. I apologize for the trouble."

"So, you really are leaving, huh?" Misao stepped out from behind the old man.

Kenshin turned away, not wanting to see her sad expression. "Yes."

Misao frowned. "Why? Why won't you let us help you? The way you've been acting, it's obvious that whatever this is about worries you! Lord Aoshi even said himself that you act with great doubt! I want to hear it, Himura! The truth! What are you hiding?"

Kenshin turned his back to the duo. "Nothing. I apologize, but I must go now. Okina, please do not forget. Goodbye."

As Kenshin began to walk away, he found himself being block by Aoshi who stood in his way. Aoshi looked down at him, not as a friend of rival, by like a parent would do a child. "Who is it that you are going to fight with, Battousai?"

Kenshin stopped dead in his tracks. Aoshi had just called him Battousai. It shook him to be called that again by someone who he considered a friend. Kenshin sighed. Aoshi was right, though. He was now the Battousai again and was willing to die baring that name. Kenshin didn't want to say who he was fighting, however. If he did, then he'd definitely drag his friends into it since they would end up following him.

"An opponent from the past." Kenshin stated bluntly.

Aoshi then said, "Although, I don't approve of this, I have no right to prevent you from leaving. Go, if you must."

Kenshin nodded. "Thank you again, Aoshi. I wish you all well. Please take care, all of you." With that, Kenshin walked off into the distance.

**End Flashback**

Okina sighed, "And that was the last we ever saw of Himura. We assumed that whoever he went to with defeated him. Of course, there still is the question of what it was all about."

Misao snapped her fingers. "Wait a sec! We can open that letter of his and see. Yahiko and Sano are here, so now we can read it!"

Kurojo nodded. "I'll go get it!" He stood up and went upstairs to retrieve the letter.

Okon sighed. "Let's hope we get to see what the big fuss was about. I'm pretty sure Miss Kaoru's pretty angry with Kenshin. That why she decided not to come, right?"

Misao chuckled. "I bet she'd probably beat Himura to a pulp if she saw him again!"

Omasu giggled as Shirojo, and Okina had a good laugh. Sanosuke, Daisuke and Yahiko were completely quite. The laughter quickly died down upon them noticing the trio wasn't even smiling.

Misao asked, "Hey, guys, what's wrong? You look like somebody died or something."

Yahiko turned away, fighting back his tears. Sano simply looked at the floor grimly as Daisuke silently lowered his head.

Misao's eyes grew wide. "Wait a minute. Guys, this isn't funny! Don't joke around! Kaoru can't be-!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Misao," said Daisuke, "Miss Kaoru….was murdered."

A choir of gasps from the Oniwaban filled the room, just as an oblivious Kurojo returned with the letter from Kenshin, waving it about wildly. "Hey! I got the letter! Let's open this sucker up and see what's inside! Uh, what's with all the gloom?"

Misao exclaimed with tears in her eyes, "Miss Kaoru…she…she….somebody killed her!"

Yahiko put his arm around Misao to comfort her. "Don't worry, Misao. We're going to make the one who did this pay."

As she cried harder she threw her arms around the young samurai, causing him to blush slightly. He blushed even more when he felt her now ample bust pressing against him. He hoped no one noticed this, but then he could see Sanosuke grinning at him and Daisuke smiling his way. Daisuke then stood up and walked over to Kurojo.

"Excuse me, may I see the letter, please?" Daisuke smiled brightly.

Kurojo shook his head. "Sorry, but it's only fair that this letter is seen by the eyes it was meant for first."

That's when Sanosuke stood up and pushed Daisuke away, causing him to land, face first, onto the floor. "That's right, me first, so outta my way!" He then picked the letter from Kurojo, tore the envelop open and began reading aloud.

_Dear friends,_

_I sincerely apologize for my absence without informing you. No doubt, you already know about Miss Kaoru, so I will not linger on that subject. In this letter, I will explain all. For starters, I left because I couldn't handle life as it is anymore. All I wanted was peace, but it seems that no matter how hard I try, or how hard any of you try to make thing easier, something always comes along to disturb the peace that we try so hard to keep. I hate having to fight, so by the time you read this I will no longer be a swordsman, for my next battle will be my last, win or lose._

_Secondly, Kaoru's murderer. You may not believe it, but it was Makoto Shishio. I saw him with my very eyes. Before he left the dojo, he challenged me to a death match in Kyoto. Against my better judgment, I accepted. If I haven't returned over a long period of time, then that means I have lost against him. _

_Yahiko, Megumi and Sano, all of you, I can understand if you are angry with me for leaving without you. However, you have to understand that this is something that I'd rather not drag anyone else into. I've already lost Miss Kaoru and I don't want to lose you or anyone else, as well._

_I hope that one day you all can forgive me._

_Kenshin._

Yahiko frowned with anger before standing up and walking outside. "Excuse me, I need some fresh air." Yahiko said darkly.

The members of the Oniwaban looked to each other, and then all eyes were on Daisuke and Sano. Daisuke, recovering from Sano's shove, shrugged, "I suppose, I should explain everything now?"

Aoshi replied, "I believe that would be the best option."

Daisuke nodded. "Okay, but I warn you, it may sound a bit unbelievable."

**5 minutes later….**

"I don't believe you." Misao spat with an agitated frown. "Besides, if any of that were true, I'd think we would notice something by now, since we _live_ in Kyoto! Rooster head, how could you and Yahiko be so gullible?! This guy's just yanking your chain to get something out of you!"

Daisuke blinked twice. "But, it's the truth."

Misao shouted while pointing an accusing finger in his face, "Prove it!"

Okina sat and watched silently. He was smart enough to stay out of Misao's way when she got worked up. The other member of the Oniwaban followed his lead, including Aoshi. Sanosuke wasn't going to say anything to cause the fireball known as Misao to burn him as well. He also stood down.

Daisuke shook his head, "Sorry, I can't do that. I only displayed my powers to Mr. Sagara and Yahiko because they are directly involved. Also, I am not allowed to flaunt my powers just to receive approval from a twenty one year old girl. My apologies, but I have to do what I must to protect this world, no matter what."

Sanosuke sighed. "Look, Misao. Me and Yahiko saw what this guy could do. He's for real. There's no way anyone fake the stuff he did. Also, if there's a chance that Karou can be brought back to life, I'm willing to risk my life, if I have to. She wasn't supposed to die, and on top of that, she was murdered on her own birthday. The same day Kenshin was gonna tell her how he really felt about her. If this works, everything can go back to the way it was."

Okina grinned widely. "Indeed! The power of friendship that transcends through the darkness of death and the brilliance of life! The love of Kenshin Himura and Kaoru Kamiya will shine like the morning star and rise above the wickedness of hell itself to defeat the ultimate evil! Beware, Makoto Shishio! Soon, you shall taste the power of our friendship which will serve you utter defeat on a shining, golden platter! Muwahahahahaha! Huh?" Okina looked around to see everyone well on their way out the door.

The group walked to the Shirobeko with Okina lagging behind them. They took this time to do some catching up, which surprisingly didn't take too long. Misao and Aoshi were saving up to get married and buy a house together. Apparently, Aoshi was the one who made the first move and admitted his feeling to Misao when she was seventeen. They've been dating ever since. As for Okon, she and Kurojo had a short relationship. Kuro apparently always tried to come to her aide for the smallest of things. She got frustrated and broke the whole thing off. They remain the best of friends, however. Shirojo hit on Omasu once, while dead drunk. He got slapped. He woke up with a hangover and a massive bruise on his cheek the very next day. Needless to say, he will never get that drunk again. After trading stories, a momentary silence followed before someone spoke again.

"Man," said Sano, "it's been a while since I've been at the Shirobeko. I wonder if they'll let us eat for free."

Misao giggled, "Yup, same ol' rooster head. I heard about your infamous tab back at the Akebeko in Tokyo."

Sano froze up. "Yikes! Hey, would you mind not mentioning that when we get there?"

Omasu laughed. "Sure, and besides, they already know. Just who else would Tae mail a letter to about freeloaders? Tae has to look out for her twin sister, you know?"

Okon shrugged. "Well, I guess Mr. Sagara may not be eating today. I only have enough for myself."

Aoshi replied, "I could lend you money, Sagara."

Sano's face lit up. "Really? You could?"

Aoshi nodded. "Yes. However, you tab suggests that I should not expect reimbursement, which means I would really be giving money away. That is not good for me, since I do have particular investments that must be made."

Sano expression flattened. "What great friends you are." Sano said with obvious sarcasm. "Hey, Kuro, Shiro, can ya help a guy out?"

Shirojo and Kurojo exchanged glances, and then looked back at Sanosuke and replied in unison, "No way."

Sanosuke sighed in defeat and shook his head. "I can't believe you guys would let me starve! No only that, you're planning to eat in front of me!" That was when he received a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to the side to see Daisuke.

Daisuke smiled, as usual. "Hey, I could spot you some cash, but you'll have to owe me a favor and you can't go back on your word."

Sano quickly stood up straight and then smirked. "No problem. Sanosuke Sagara never goes back on his word!"

"Unless it involves returning borrowed money…" Yahiko muttered.

"HEY!" Sano glared at Yahiko. "I heard that!"

At that moment, laughter exploded from the group, minus Sanosuke as they came to the front of the Shirobeko. It had been a long time since Yahiko and Sano had been to the place, but it was certain that they would be greeted warmly by Tae's twin sister, Sae. Daisuke, on the other hand, suddenly had a distant expression. He looked as if he were truly worried about something.

In actuality, Daisuke was afraid. He hadn't told them the entire story and wasn't sure if he should do so. The look on his face seemed to throw off the people around him. Yahiko asked him what was wrong, but Daisuke assured him that it was simply the cause of hunger. Yahiko accepted with a shrug as they entered the restaurant.

However, Misao knew better. She new this guy was hiding something and could see it written all over his face. Daisuke avoided eye contact with her, full knowing of the icy glare she had been shooting at him every since the left the Aoiya. Everyone else, even Aoshi continued on normally as they were seated in a booth by one of the other waitresses. Misao took a seat directly in front of Daisuke and continued to stare him down, causing the angel to become extremely uncomfortable.

Dai chuckled nervously. "Is there something wrong, Miss Misao?"

Misao replied with a frown, "Yup."

Dai then asked, "Well, would you mind telling me what it is?"

Misao scoffed. "You _know_ what it is, so why don't _you_ tell _me_?"

Daisuke sighed. "Listen, I've already explained everything I know about this, there is nothing more that I can tell you."

Misao sneered. "Oh, really? Then tell me why you've been acting so nervous lately. Your left hand trembles every time the subject comes up and right now, you're sweating despite the low temperature."

Daisuke smiled. "You're imagining things. I just have extremely healthy sweat glands in my human form. As for my hand I-"

"Bullshit!" Misao snapped and stood up abruptly, causing all eyes to rest on her fuming form.

Aoshi put his hand on her shoulder and spoke softly, "Misao, please calm down. You shouldn't get worked up so quickly."

Yahiko sighed. "Man, can't we at least get along until _after_ we eat?"

Sano nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Dai's gonna lend me the cash, so save the fighting until afterwards!"

Okon scoffed. "You would say something like that you freeloader.."

Sanosuke protested, "Hey! I'm not a freeloader! I'm a friend in need!"

Osamu nodded, "Yes, he's a friend in need….of a _real_ job."

Kurojo and Shirojo laughed heartily at Sanosuke's expense. Soon, everyone at the table except Daisuke, Sano and Misao joined in the laugher.

Sano simply put his head on the table and muttered, "Ah, screw you guys."

Misao continued to stare at Daisuke until finally she stood up and said, "Follow me." She then walked away from the table and back out the front door. Daisuke reluctantly followed, knowing that Misao would not give up until she got what she wanted. Since, he had a feeling this wouldn't be a quick conversation, he left Sano the money to pay for his food before leaving.

Mere moments later, Misao and Daisuke were outside of the Shirobeko. However, she continued to walk ever further as Daisuke followed. He had to admit that she was pretty quick, even though she was walking. He almost had to jog in order to keep up with her. It seemed as if an hour went by before she finally stopped. They were now standing before what looked like a gravesite. Misao stood before the site and motioned for Daisuke to stand next to her and without fuss, he complied.

Daisuke asked, "Why are you showing me this? What is the point?"

Misao sighed. "Just shut up and listen, okay? This is where the older members of the Oniwaban are buried. Shikijo, Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Hanya. They were all like a family to me. The day that I learned about their deaths, I made a promise. I promised them that I would keep on living and protect those precious to me no matter what the cost. As a ninja, it is my duty to be aware of everything that goes on around my territory. This brings me to my point. Daisuke, I don't know if you mean well or not, but I won't let you leave here without telling me _everything._"

Daisuke sighed and turned away. "Are you saying that you will kill me otherwise?"

Misao nodded. "I _am_ a ninja, after all. I don't like the idea, mind you, but right now, I see you as a threat to me and my friends. Unless you prove otherwise, I'll have no other choice."

Daisuke smiled. "You are quite admirable, Miss Misao. I know that no matter how much I tell you I am no threat, you will not believe me."

Misao smirked. "At least we can agree on one thing."

Daisuke nodded in reply and then continued, "However, I can't allow you to stop me from my mission and also, I cannot reveal anymore information than I already have. You see, the details I left out are not for your ears. Only Mr. Himura and Ms. Kamiya may hear these things. I'm sorry."

Misao's expression softened into slight sadness as she pulled out two of her kunai and got into her kempo fighting stance.

"So am I."


	4. Part III: A Message From Hades

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 3: A Message From Hades**

**Tokyo at Nightfall….**

A teenage boy with long black hair tied into a ponytail with aqua eyes stepped out of his house for some fresh air. He wore a green hakama with an indigo kimono top. He sighed contentedly as he took in the fresh air while stretching his arms. He looked down and saw that a folded piece of paper was placed at his front door addressed to Noboru. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Who would leave me a letter at this hour?" He pondered.

Unfolding the piece of paper he saw that it was a note from Yahiko. He knew his handwriting quite well from being around him so much. Noboru wasted no time in reading it.

_Noboru, please forgive me for being so sudden, but an emergency came up and I had to leave for Kyoto right away. Because you are my top student, I can only trust you with this request. Please take over the Kamiya Kashin classess until I return. I hope this doesn't inconvenience you in anyway. If so, I'm truly sorry. Be that as it may, Noboru, I'm counting on you. _

_Thanks,_

_Yahiko._

Noboru took a second to let it sink in. Yahiko was gone and wanted him to run the classes until his return. Noboru's lips slightly curled into a smile. "I get to teach the lessons?" Suddenly, his smile turned into a great grin. "I get to teach the lessons! YES! I get to be the sensei! Noboru, no, Yamamoto-sensei of the Kamiya Kashin School! Has a nice ring to it."

Noboru placed the not into his kimono and proudly marched back into the house, donning a massive grin of pride.

"Mom! Mom, look at this!" Noboru ran to his mother who had long dark hair and green eyes. She wore a white kimono with a cherry blossom petal design on the front the extended to the lower left side. She smiled warmly at her son. "What is it that has you so excited, Noboru-kun?"

Noboru pulled out Yahiko's note and announced, "Yahiko-sensei has left town and placed me in charge of the swordsmanship lessons!"

His mother's smile brightened. "That's wonderful news! Your father will be very proud of you. He was an exceptional swordsman, as well, at one time."

Noboru blinked twice. "Huh? Dad was a swordsman?!"

"Yes, dear," his mother chuckled through her words, "Is that really so surprising? The first time we met, he saved my life, you know."

Noboru's eyes lit up with intrigue. "Wow! Hey, how come he never told me about that?"

She shrugged. "I suppose it's because your father believes that dwelling in the past isn't too important. He honestly hates to reminisce because along with the good memories, also comes the bad. We both went through a lot in our younger days, especially your father."

Noboru nodded. "I see. You met during the revolution, right?"

She replied, "Yes. It was a dangerous and horrible period for everyone, back then. I can still remember it all as if it were recent. Particularly, the day everything began…"

**Flashback**

It was almost pitch black outside, if not for the full moon that night, tonight would indeed be the blackest of nights. Sounds of men laughing could be heard in an alley in the heart of Kyoto. The laughter wasn't that of joy, however. The laughter carried menace and evil intent. It was the laughter of three swordsmen who surrounded a defenseless woman. She was quite beautiful and elegant. She wore an emerald kimono that matched her eyes of the same color. Her long, dark hair extended to her lower back and flowed freely, but still managed to look neat. She was like a goddess of purity. Unfortunately, during this time of war, revolution and evil, men existed in this world that wished to bring down such beauty. Why? Simply because they could. Murder and rape were unfortunately common during these times, as this delicate flower of purity was about to find out.

"Hey, a pretty little thing like you shouldn't spend a night like this alone, eh?" said one of the men. This one was tall, very thin, beady eyes and had a huge mole on the tip of his nose. He also reeked of sake. Backing the woman up against the wall, he advanced strongly with a grin that showcased his brownish yellow teeth and exposed her to his terrible breath. A stench that contained mixture of alcohol and tooth decay hit her face with the impact of a full-blown punch, causing her to turn away with disgust and a bit of nausea. She gagged while trying her best to will herself not to vomit.

"Hey!" The barely hygienic man shouted. "Don't you turn away from me! You think you're too good for us or something?"

"Forget this," said one of the other behind him. This one was just as tall as the first guy, but he was very muscular. He face carried a stone cold expression, along with an eye patch of one eye. "Get her clothes off and let's get down to business. I'm tired of waiting!"

The third man stayed quiet, however. He was the shorter of the two because he was a young man. He was, perhaps, in his early twenties or so. He looked slightly uninterested and also slightly pitiful. He tried not to get involved until..

"Hey, Toji!" The first guy called. "Since you're fairly new, we'll let you get first crack at her. You don't have to worry, boy. No one will know, since she'll be shamed if she tells anyone. Plus, we can just kill her afterwards, haha!"

Toji opened his mouth to reply but his eyes widened and nothing came out but a helpless squeal. Before the eyes of his comrades, the blade of a sword tore its way out of his chest and then sunk back in as Toji fell to the ground lifelessly with blood quickly leaking out of his body.

Standing behind his lifeless body was a man with short, black hair, blue eyes and an emotionless expression on his face. His hakama and kimono were both black and the sword he held was covered in blood. He swung his sword through the air, flinging the blood on his sword to into the dirt before him.

"You!" Cried the first guy as he pushed the woman down and charged ragingly at the swordsman in black. Attempting a battoujutsu attack, the man planned on unsheathing the sword in a slashing motion, however, the killer was too quick for the attack to succeed. Before the would-be rapist could draw his sword, the assassin in black severed his right arm, which still held a tight grip on his sheathed sword, even as it dropped motionlessly to the ground. The man screamed in agony and shock for only a split second before he was instantaneously decapitated. His head became airborne from the sudden slash and landed with a dull thud before the remaining swordsman and rolled harmlessly against his left foot.

The assassin's brown eyes glared maliciously at his last target. "You are next." He said darkly.

The assassin's target shook his head frantically before unsheathing his sword and charging in with a battle cry. He knew that he could defeat this assassin in black. He knew it! He knew it so much that he could feel his sword piercing this man! No. That's not what he felt. What he felt was numbness. The last thing he remembered seeing was a bird's eye view of his dead body falling to the ground without a head. It felt like he was flying. As he began to descend back toward his headless body, everything faded to black.

As the head of his last opponent hit the ground, the man in black turned toward the woman he rescued. Oddly enough, he had no blood on him, despite how much he had just spilled. He approached her after sheathing his weapon. Standing over her, he extended his hand to her and smiled warmly.

"Can you stand?" He asked politely.

The beautiful flower of a woman slowly nodded and skeptically took his hand, allowing him to pull her onto her feet. She turned away from him frightfully. "Um, thank you very much. You are very kind."

"It's the least I can do for you for having you see all that. Someone such as you should never have to see such….such carnage." He bowed. "Please forgive me for that. By the way, my name is Tetsuya Yamamoto."

The woman also bowed. "I am Chisato Kobayashi."

**End Flashback**

Noboru's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Whoa! Dad did all THAT?! Man, he must've been on the same level as the Battousai! Did he ever fight the Battousai, mom?!"

Chisato smiled. "You sure are eager. Well, as a matter of fact, your father never fought the Battousai because they were both imperialists. I met him once before, with your father and let me tell you, he was one frightening man! At the same time, you had to feel sorry for him, though. He may have been one of the most dangerous swordsmen alive, back then, but when he wasn't in battle; his eyes were always filled with sadness. Those were the eyes of a man who had loss a lot in his life."

Noboru nodded. "I think I understand. That must be why father stopped practicing swordsmanship."

Misato turned toward the open door. "Yes, because swordsmanship is the art of murder. That's the ugly truth. However, he allowed you to practice Kamiya Kashin because your sensei believes that using a sword doesn't have to lead to death. He believes in saving others without bloodshed. Your father respects that aspect of your training, so he allows you to continue."

Noboru smiled. "Yeah, even though a lot of people say it's impossible, I believe in Master Yahiko. I've watched him for a long time and I've seen him do things that you'd have to see to believe. I wanna be like that someday. I want people to say 'Noboru can do the impossible.' Just like Master Yahiko."

"You will see that day, Noboru-kun." Chisato said. "One day you'll be able to look back and smile with pride at all you have accomplished. Your father and I believe in you, and without a doubt, Yahiko does, too."

**Kyoto at nightfall….**

There they were, standing before the graves of the old members of the Oniwaban. Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo, and Hannya rested only mere feet away from where Misao and Daisuke stood.

Misao turned around to face Daisuke with narrowed eyes. "Daisuke, I don't know if you mean well or not, but I won't let you leave here without telling me _everything._"

Daisuke sighed and turned away. "Are you saying that you will kill me otherwise?"

Misao nodded. "I _am_ a ninja, after all. I don't like the idea, mind you, but right now, I see you as a threat to my friends. Unless you prove otherwise, I'll have no other choice."

Daisuke smiled. "You are quite admirable, Miss Misao. I know that no matter how much I tell you I am no threat, you will not believe me."

Misao scoffed. "You got that right!"

Daisuke nodded in reply while facing Misao once again and then continued, "However, I can't allow you to stop me from my mission and also, I cannot reveal anymore information than I already have. You see, the details I left out are not for your ears. Only Mr. Himura and Ms. Kamiya may hear these things. I'm sorry."

Misao's expression softened into slight sadness as she pulled out two of her kunai and got into her kempo-fighting stance.

"So am I."

Daisuke asked, "If I win, will you stop harassing me about this subject?"

Misao replied, "If that's what you want, but if I win, you'd better spill it or be prepared to die!"

Daisuke nodded. "Agreed. Let us begin."

Without warning, Misao launched herself into the air. Daisuke anticipated her next move and stayed stationary. He closed his eyes with a sigh of boredom. "One.."

Misao threw her kunai at him from her mid-air position, which he easily caught. As she came down at him, she threw the second, which Daisuke also caught with ease. Misao landed right in from of him, snapping her leg toward his head with a roundhouse kick. Daisuke smiled and simply leaned back, allowing with wind form her kick to blow his hair back a little. He smirked at her. "Sorry, but I know too much about you for you to win. Please stand down."

Misao snapped back, "No way! You're gonna tell me what's going on!"

Daisuke sighed. "Okay, but you'll only have yourself to blame in the end."

Before Daisuke could even think another thought, Misao quickly pulled out a kunai and managed to hold the point against his throat. She narrowed her eyes and then said, "Either you can start talking or I can start cutting. It's your choice."

Daisuke frowned. "Sorry, but you haven beaten me yet."

Suddenly, Misao felt an unexplainable force push her backwards about six feet before she was sent tumbling violently across the ground. The dust that flew up during her fall caused her to cough as she stood back up to face him again. The look of shock on her face was all Daisuke needed to deduce that she was distracted. Misao saw that Daisuke's eyes were glowing with a brilliant white light. However, the light slowly faded from his eyes as Daisuke prepared himself for offense.

Misao noticed the sword on his belt and said, "Stop toying with me! It's more than obvious that you're a swordsman, so why don't you draw your sword and fight me for real?"

Daisuke shook his head. "I refuse. This sword is not a weapon to be used against your kind. Doing so would not only be unfair, but the results could be beyond disastrous."

Misao cursed. "What the hell do you think you are, huh?!"

Daisuke replied with a serious look on his face, "I think you know the answer to that, Miss Misao. The real question is: why do you keep telling yourself that I am your enemy?"

Misao, losing her cool, charged in at Daisuke with a raging battle cry. "Why don't you just shut up and fight me?!"

Daisuke shook his head and closed his eyes. "Don't make me do this, Miss Misao. I don't wa-UGH?!" Misao's thighs were suddenly wrapped snugly around Daisuke's neck with the lower part of her legs resting on his shoulders. The view of her underwear caused the unsuspecting warrior a massive nosebleed. He quickly became dizzy as Misao rolled backwards in a back flip motion, taking Daisuke face first to the ground. When upon the rough impact, a cloud of dust kicked up and Daisuke found himself looking upward at Misao who remained on top of him. Her eyes seemed to carry a glint of determination as she coldly stared down at him.

"I'm not as weak as you think." Misao spat hotly.

Daisuke could hear bells go off in his head, not to mention the feeling of dizziness still lingered. His nose still had blood all over it as he muttered to the ninja woman, "That was a sneaky, dirty trick."

Misao gave him an annoyed look. "Hello? You happen to be fighting a _ninja_! We don't play by fair rules, especially if the enemy has incredible supernatural powers!"

Daisuke smirked. "So you're admitting that you believe me?"

Misao folded her arms and turned up her nose. "Hmph! Don't push your luck, pal! I do believe in the fact that you're not a normal human being, but that makes me trust you even less!"

Daisuke sweat dropped. "There's just no way to win with you, is there?"

Misao chuckled. "You sound like Aoshi right now. Anyway, let's go back. And remember…" She helped him up and pulled him close so that they were almost touching noses. She narrowed her eyes and darkly said, "I'll be watching you."

Daisuke nodded. "Yes, ma'am! By the way, do you always fight like that?"

Misao sighed. "Of course. I AM a ninja, after all!"

Daisuke nodded once again. "I see. But what if the opponent is a woman? Wouldn't smothering your panties against her face be ineffective?"

Misao paused and narrowed her eyes as she got directly in his face. Daisuke grinned nervously, but was soon relieved when Misao smiled back innocently. Before he could sigh with relief…

_WHAM!_

The sound of the slap could be heard from yards as birds scattered from trees, all startled by the sheer volume.

Misao frowned again. "Pervert."

Daisuke held his flaring red cheek with his palm. "You're so violent, very unladylike."

Misao spat angrily, "I suggest you stop talking, or I'll show you some REAL violence!"

Daisuke hung his head down. "Yes, ma'am."

Misao began to walk forward. "C'mon. We should be getting back. On the way you can explain yourself, like you promised."

Daisuke grinned in a shifty manner. "But, Miss Misao," he said in a mocking voice, "You ordered me to stop talking or be shown true violence."

Misao stopped in her tracks with her fists trembling violently as her sides. Her battle aura flared a crimson red as she turned around with no pupils in her eyes.

Daisuke chuckled to himself until he saw an angry Misao charging his way like a berserk beast. His eyes went wide as tears streamed down his face, "Wait, Miss Misao! It was a joke! A joke! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

_THWACK!_

"Pathetic." A dark voice spoke from the darkness. A man struggled against his shackles that bound to a wall of stone. He was a small man, thinning from malnutrition. His breathing was slightly labored and his voice seemed to be leaving him as he spoke, "Why….don't you just….kill me? Five years have already passed." He weakly lifted his head with his red bangs hanging halfway over his aqua eyes. Tears escaped his eyes, running down both cheeks. One of said cheeks carried a cross shaped scar.

From the darkness, the dark, booming voice spoke once again, "Because that would be much too easy, Battousai. The reason I've kept you alive for the past five years is because I want you to see the world I create. I want you to helplessly watch what happens to the people you care for as the true law of nature once again becomes the law of the land. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "You…bastard!"

The voice chuckled. "Please, Battousai. Not this again. Calm yourself; there is nothing you can do now. You're simply no match for me now. Your friends have lost all hope in the possibility that you could be still alive and some of said friends even hate your guts. Also, the only one who had any chance in stopping me is dead. Once those fools activate the power of the Eternal Crystal, I'll use it to open up the Gates of Hell and unleash my armies upon this world."

Kenshin shouted, "You may think you've won, but you won't get away-AHH!" Black lightning bolts surrounded Kenshin's body, crackling violently around him as he continued to scream in agony.

"Shut up, Battousai." The disembodied voice spat irately.

Sanosuke sighed contentedly as he finished the last of his beef bowl. "Oh, yeah! That hit the spot! Yahiko, you gonna eat that?"

Yahiko scowled as he pulled his bowl further away from Sano's reach. "Yes! Keep away from my food you glutton!"

"Hey!" Sano bellowed, "Who are you callin' a glutton, you little twerp?!"

Flames could be seen in Yahiko's eyes. "Little?! I'll show you little!" Yahiko reached out with both hands, then grabbed Sanosuke's face by each cheek and pulled as hard as he could, stretching it painfully.

Sanosuke yelped in agony before reeling back his fist. "Why, you...! Futai no Kiw-"

Aoshi grabbed his wrist quickly. "Sagara, you mustn't raise a fuss. We are in a public place and people are trying to eat in peace."

Sano groaned. "But HE started it! 'Sides, it's not my fault Yahiko's still a brat after all these ye-" Sano's eyes rolled back into his head before his face turned blue. He then passed out with a dull thud, straight to the floor.

Yahiko smirked. "Who's the brat now?"

Omasu looked down at Sanosuke and sweat dropped. "Nutcracker Attack?"

Okon nodded. "Nutcracker Attack." She took another sip of her tea.

Kuro and Shiro could only turn away from the scene and cringe.

"Geez, that was cruel." Kurojo finally said.

Shirojo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, no kidding."

Kurojo then shrugged. "But, he kinda had it coming."

Shirojo nodded again. "Yeah, no kidding."

"Hey, guys! We're back!" Misao called as she walked to the booth with a battered Daisuke hoisted over her shoulder. She then looked downward at he unconscious Sanosuke. "Hey, what happened to rooster head?"

"Nutcracker Attack." Omasu and Okon replied in deadpan unison.

Misao shrugged before dropping Daisuke carelessly on the floor beside Sanosuke. He left out a soft moan of agony upon his rough landing. Yahiko looked down at Daisuke with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, I thought you were an angel. Do angels usually get their butts kicked by ninjas or what?"

"I'm an angel in a human body," stated Daisuke matter-of-factly, "I'm subject to some human weaknesses, despite the fact that I retain most of my holy powers." Daisuke stood up with a frown and whined, "And besides, Miss Misao plays really dirty! Not a shred of fairness at all!"

Misao smirked. "In this world, you have to prepare for anything. It's not my fault you ignored that rule."

Sanosuke finally came to and sat up with a blank glare. He then slowly turned his head Yahiko's way. "You are SO dead."

Yahiko gulped.

Misao sighed. "Um, anyway. Daisuke, you lost our bet, so you're gonna have to spill it. Tell us everything you know!"

Daisuke nodded. "I will keep my promise to you. I'll explain all in due time."

Misao gritted her teeth with a raging glare. "In due time?! Screw that, I want it all NOW!"

Daisuke smiled, shaking a finger at he ninja woman, "Now, now. I promised to tell you everything, but I never said when I would, did I?"

Misao narrowed her eyes. "What?!" She quickly reached over, grabbed Daisuke's shoulders and shook him violently. "You're gonna tell it all here and now or I'm gonna kick your holy ass all over Japan, you got that?!"

Daisuke, dizzy from the violent shaking he received replied with his voice slightly cracking in gibberish. Misao then slapped him around until he began to make sense again.

Daisuke then shouted, "Enough, already, I'll talk, I'll talk! But first, I must use the restroom…" His eyes shifted in a sneaky manner.

Misao noticed this and punted him onto the floor and squatted down on top of him, holding him down with both arms. "You're NOT getting away from me that easily! What the hell are you hiding?!"

About nineteen strangle holds later, the group decided to leave the restaurant. It turned out that Sae wasn't even there that day due to a personal errand. Sanosuke counted his blessings on that one, however. If she were there, he probably would have gotten similar treatment to Tae's method back in Tokyo. As they left, all were silent, minus Misao and Daisuke who argued the entire time. They were in an area covered with trees, walking along a path that led away from the general direction of the Aoiya.

Just then, a dagger sailed through the air with a note attached to it. Misao's body reacted immediately by snatching it from the air as quickly as it came. When she caught it, it was only a half-inch away from Yahiko's head. Yahiko blinked. "Whoa, that was close! Thanks, Misao."

"Welcome!" She smiled back and then went into a serious expression as she and the other looked around for the culprit. She went into the direction in which the dagger came, but she sensed no presence. "How could they move this fast?"

Meanwhile, Sanosuke read the letter aloud, "'If you want your precious Battousai, then come to Mount Hiei. If you can survive long enough, you will be able to see him once more. If not, then he dies.' What the hell?!"

Yahiko narrowed his eyes. "Who is it from, Sano?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "It doesn't say."

"It has begun." Daisuke narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "There is no doubt that the one behind this is none other than the one you call Makoto Shishio. He must be setting his plan in motion and plans to rid himself of you all. He is using Kenshin Himura as bait."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do? Let him kill Kenshin? I don't think so!" Sano pounded his fist into his palm. "I say we storm Mount Hiei, kick Shishio's ass and take back Kenshin by force!"

Misao cheered, "YEAH! Let's go and get Himura!"

As the group prepared themselves for the reckless raid, Aoshi, Okina and Daisuke sighed with annoyance. Daisuke was the first to speak, "This guy has demonic powers and you're going to storm his fortress without plans or capable weaponry?"

Aoshi concurred. "This is quite reckless. We need at least some kind of plan before we decide to attack. It is obvious that someone is watching us, therefore, they must know a great deal about us all. Walking directly into an obvious trap with no preparation is no way to fight a battle."

Okina nodded. "Indeed, Aoshi. This is what we will do. We will rest tonight and draw up a plan of attack first thing in the morning. There is no use rushing in unprepared and exhausted from deprivation of sleep. Also, since it is apparent that our movements are being watched, we should take watch shifts, just in case."

Yahiko frowned. "I don't like this at all. Just what the hell is happening?"

Daisuke replied grimly, "The opening stages...to the end of the world."

To Be Continued


End file.
